The Rather Odd Proceedings of the Mersault Trial in “The Stranger”
In Albert Camus’ novel, “The Stranger,” the trial of one Mr. Mersault begins with a murder case. However, the focus of the trial drifts considerably from the original charge. After a short time, the proceedings are no longer about a murder. Mersault’s very nature as an extremely passive, nonchalant person ends up being put on […]
Who Killed the Mockingbird?
In every truly good work of literature, there is a main character who always seems to be the antithesis of a common person. Often times, this character is a protagonist who struggles to stand by their own beliefs, but persists no matter what the cost. A perfect example of this type of protagonist would be […]
An Analysis of the Robert Frost Poem “Birches”
One of my all-time favorite poems is “Birches” by Robert Frost. Perhaps, a good deal of my affection for the work has to do with having to do an in-depth analysis of the poem for a senior English assignment. After revisiting this academic piece over a decade later, I decided to post it in a […]
Is Everything That is Written Literature?
As someone who has written on thousands of subjects in many different niches over the years, I’ve amassed quite a writing archive. It occurred to me recently that I wasn’t sure what was worthy of carrying forward into my present. Tending to be one to go down rabbit holes on a whim, I started digging […]
The Quest for Immortality Never Ends in Eternal Life
Immortality is a human impossibility, at least as far as eternal youth in life is concerned. Even then, for millennia people have sought out the Fountain of Youth or whatever will bring them perpetual youth in the mortal world. But, what purpose does a life without death have? Our own realization of death’s imminence forces […]
What I Learned About Self-Discovery from “Heart of Darkness”
It has long been my particular fear of not being received well as a writer. No doubt, it’s the worst kind of fear that a prolific writer can have. As I found my own writing growing dense, I worried I’d get to a point where no one would understand what I had to say but […]
On Modernist Themes in “I, Too” and “Democracy” by Langston Hughes
Langston Hughes is one of the most famous New Negro Movement poets. He may not have been a Modernist writer like many of his peers in terms of ambiguity and uncertainty. In fact, his work in fact is quite straightforward. But, the themes which Hughes uses in his poetry, such as alienation, dislocation, and inequality, […]
Is Mr. Marlow the Hero of Heart of Darkness?
The hero of Joseph Conrad’s novel Heart of Darkness is Mr. Marlow, as he overcame the “heart of darkness” that is the wild Congo of Africa in the late 1800’s. What exactly does that mean? Sharing a perspective on everyday heroes may shed some light on this subject. Everyday heroes are people who can make […]